Waiting for the Mahatma

Waiting for the Mahatma – The novel you are likely referring to is Waiting for the Mahatma by the acclaimed Indian author R.K. Narayan. R.L. Tiwari is the author of published study guides and critical analyses of Narayan’s novel, providing summaries and questions for students. The story is set in the fictional town of Malgudi during the final years of India’s struggle for Independence from British rule. The protagonist is Sriram, a young, apathetic man who becomes a follower of Mahatma Gandhi primarily because he is infatuated with Bharati, a girl in Gandhi’s entourage. His involvement in the Quit India movement, initially motivated by love, leads him into various adventures and misadventures, including encounters with anti-British extremists and time in jail.